| Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Cap badge | |
| Active | 1881 – 2006 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Line infantry |
| Role | Light Infantry |
| Size | Regiment with varying amount of battalions over time |
| Garrison/HQ | RHQ –Stirling Castle[1] |
| Nickname | Thin Red Line |
| Mottos | Ne Obliviscaris, Sans Peur |
| March |
|
| Mascot | AShetland Pony named "Cruachan" |
| Anniversaries | Balaklava (25 October 1854) |
| Commanders | |
| Ceremonial chief | King Charles III |
| Insignia | |
| Tactical Recognition Flash |  |
TheArgyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) is alight infantrycompany (designated asBalaklava Company, 5th Battalion,Royal Regiment of Scotland) and was aline infantryregiment of theBritish Army that existed from 1881 until amalgamation into theRoyal Regiment of Scotland on 28 March 2006.
The regiment was created under theChilders Reforms in 1881, as thePrincess Louise's (Sutherland and Argyll Highlanders), by the amalgamation of the91st (Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment of Foot and93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment of Foot, amended the following year to reverse the order of the "Argyll" and "Sutherland" sub-titles.[2] The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was expanded to fifteenbattalions during theFirst World War (1914–1918) and nine during theSecond World War (1939–1945). The 1st Battalion served in the1st Commonwealth Division in theKorean War and gained a high public profile for its role inAden during 1967.
As part of therestructuring of the British Army's infantry in 2006, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were amalgamated with theRoyal Scots, theKing's Own Scottish Borderers, theRoyal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment), theBlack Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) and theHighlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) into the seven-battalionRoyal Regiment of Scotland. Following a further round of defence cuts announced in July 2012, the 5th Battalion was reduced to a single light infantry company called Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders).
It was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the91st (Princess Louise's Argyllshire) Regiment and the93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment as outlined in theChilders Reforms. The regiment was one of the six Scottish line infantry regiments, and wore theSutherland districttartan (Government No. 1A) as itsregimental tartan; this is a lightened version of the Black Watch (Government No. 1) sett. The unit also had the largestcap badge in the British Army. The uniform included theGlengarry as its ceremonial headdress.[3]
.jpg)
At the Childers Reforms amalgamation, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders already had a well-earned reputation for valour in the face of the enemy, most notably the 93rd (later 2nd Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) during the Crimean War. Here, the 93rd earned the sobriquet of "The Fighting Highlanders" and carried with it the status of having been the original "Thin Red Line". This title was bestowed following the action of the 93rd at Balaklava on 25 October 1854 in which this single battalion alone stood between the undefended British Army base at Balaklava and four squadrons of charging Russian cavalry.[4] The 93rd, under the command ofSir Colin Campbell, not only held steady, but for the first time in the history of the British Army, broke a large cavalry charge using musket fire alone, without having been formed into a square.[5]
This action was witnessed by theTimes correspondentWilliam Howard Russell, who reported that nothing stood between the Russian cavalry and the defenceless British base but the "thin red streak tipped with a line of steel of the 93rd" a description immediately paraphrased and passed into folklore as "The Thin Red Line".[6] Later referred to by Kipling in his evocative poem "Tommy", the saying came to epitomise everything the British Army stood for. This feat of arms is still recognised by the plain red and white dicing worn on the cap band of the A and SH Glengarry bonnets.[7]
The 1st Battalion arrived in theCape in November 1899 and formed part of the3rd or Highland Brigade. The Argylls played leading roles in theBattle of Modder River, theBattle of Magersfontein, theBattle of Paardeberg, and in an action at Roodepoort immediately preceding the Battle ofDoornkop. In June 1900, the battalion was transferred to a new brigade under Brigadier General George Cunningham. They operated aroundPretoria and from April 1901, in the EasternTransvaal. Sections of Argylls formed parts of the 2nd and 12th BattalionsMounted Infantry, and a detachment, along with theBlack Watch, formed an escort for Captain J. E. Bearcroft's naval guns during the advance to Pretoria.[8]
In 1908, the Volunteers and Militia were reorganised nationally, with the former becoming theTerritorial Force and the latter theSpecial Reserve;[9] the regiment now had two Reserve and five Territorial battalions.[a][10]
The 1st Battalion landed atLe Havre as part of the81st Brigade in the27th Division in December 1914 for service on theWestern Front.[11]
The 2nd Battalion landed atBoulogne-sur-Mer as part of the19th Brigade, which was operating independently, in August 1914 for service on the Western Front.[11]
The 1/5th (Renfrewshire) Battalion landed atCape Helles as part of the157th Brigade in the52nd (Lowland) Division in June 1915; the battalion was evacuated to Egypt in January 1916 and then landed atMarseille in April 1918 for service on the Western Front.[11]
The 1/6th (Renfrewshire) Battalion landed in France as part of the152nd Brigade in the51st (Highland) Division in May 1915; the battalion moved to Italy in November 1917 but returned to France in April 1918.[11]
The 1/7th Battalion landed in France as part of the10th Brigade in the4th Division in December 1914 for service on the Western Front.[11]
.jpg)
The 1/8th (The Argyllshire) Battalion landed in France as part of the 152nd Brigade in the 51st (Highland) Division in May 1915 for service on the Western Front.[11]
The 1/9th (The Dumbartonshire) Battalion landed in France as part of the 81st Brigade in the 27th Division in February 1915 for service on the Western Front.[11]
The 10th (Service) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur Mer as part of the27th Brigade in the9th (Scottish) Division in May 1915 for service on the Western Front.[11]
The 11th (Service) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the45th Brigade in the15th (Scottish) Division in July 1915 for service on the Western Front.[11]
The 12th (Service) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the 77th Brigade in the26th Division in September 1915 but moved toSalonika in November 1915.[11]
The 14th (Service) Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the120th Brigade in the40th Division in June 1916 for service on the Western Front.[11]
During theIrish War of Independence, the 2nd Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was sent to be stationed inClaremorris,County Mayo in 1919.[12] Though the battalion's time in Ireland was mostly uneventful, soldiers from the regiment were involved in the death ofCaptain Patrick "Paddy" Boland, theofficer commanding of the Crossard Company, East Mayo Brigade of theIrish Republican Army (IRA). On 27 May 1921, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders shot and killed Boland while he was allegedly attempting to escape near his home inAghamore; Boland's body was reportedly severely mutilated after his death.[13][14][15]
By 1931, the 2nd Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was stationed in Hong Kong and was initially involved in quelling anti Japanese riots.[16]
In 1932, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was deployed to Shanghai, specifically as part of theShanghai Volunteer Corps. They were involved in the defense of the International Settlement during the January 28 Incident, a conflict between China and Japan. The Regiment was stationed in the British sector and helped defend the northern boundary of the International Settlement.[17]
The Regiment was transferred toWaziristan, then known as India's North West Frontier from 1935 to 1938 as part of efforts to maintain control in the region. This deployment was part of a larger British military presence aimed at quelling tribal unrest and maintaining security in the area, which was known for its mountainous terrain and challenging conditions. The regiment was particulary stationed at the Gharion Camp with theBannu Brigade fighting in the Shan Plain against theFakir of Ipi.[18][19][20]
The 1st Battalion fought in theWestern Desert Campaign,Crete,Abyssinia,Sicily and in theItalian Campaign. The first action for the 1st Battalion was atSidi Barani where they joined the battle on 10 December 1940 as part of the16th Infantry Brigade. On 17 May 1941 the battalion moved to Crete where they formed part of the defence based on the east side of the island atTymbaki. Most of the Argylls marched from Tymbaki to the airfield atHeraklion on the night of 24 May to help support the14th Infantry Brigade in the fighting at that airfield. They were successfully evacuated on 29 May from Heraklion but their convoy suffered air attacks and many casualties on the route away from Crete. The Argylls left at Tymbaki were captured when the island surrendered. The 1st Battalion was shipped toAlexandria and after garrison duties followed by a raid into theGondar region of Abyssinia, they were sent back to the Western Desert where they were eventually attached to the161st Indian Infantry Brigade, part of4th Indian Infantry Division, and fought in theSecond Battle of El Alamein. In 1943 the 1st Battalion landed onSicily during Operation Husky, theAllied invasion of Sicily, attached to the5th British Infantry Division as the33rd Beach Brick. From February 1944 the battalion fought through theItalian Campaign with the19th Indian Infantry Brigade, attached to8th Indian Infantry Division.[21][22]
The 2nd Battalion fought valiantly against theImperial Japanese Army during the fighting inMalaya andSingapore (SeeBattle of Bukit Timah). Led by the toughLieutenant ColonelIan Stewart they were one of the very few British units that was prepared for the jungle warfare inMalaya. In the months before the invasion of southernThailand and Malaya in 1941, Stewart took his battalion into the harshest terrain he could find and developed tactics to fight effectively in those areas. This training that the 2nd Argylls went through would make them arguably the most effective unit inGeneral Percival's Malayan Command, earning them the nickname "the jungle beasts".[23]
During the withdrawal of the11th Indian Infantry Division, the 2nd Argylls slowed the enemy advance and inflicted heavy casualties on them. During these actions the battalion became so depleted by battle that it was ordered back into Singapore. Two days later, 2,000 or so men of the 22nd Australian Brigade (the absolute tail guard of the British forces) arrived at the causeway. An Australian staff officer was amazed to find the Argylls camped on the Malay side of the water, and asked why they were in Malaya when they could have been in the relative comfort of Singapore. Lt. Col. Stewart replied "You know the trouble with you Australians is that you have no sense of history. When the story of this campaign is written you will find that the ASHR goes down as the last unit to cross this causeway what's more – piped across by their pipers".[24]
The Argylls had lost 800 men due to continuous action as rear guards (especially at theBattle of Slim River). When the remaining Argylls arrived in Singapore in December 1941, the battalion was reinforced with someRoyal Marines who had survived the sinking ofHMSPrince of Wales andHMSRepulse. The merger was held atTyersall Park, and the battalion was informally renamed "Plymouth Argylls". (This was in reference to the Argylls' affiliation withPlymouth Argyle F.C. and to the Plymouth Division of the Royal Marines, which all the Marines were from.[25]
The battalion surrendered with the rest of the army in Singapore in February 1942. Many Argylls died in captivity asP.O.W's or in the jungle trying to avoid capture.[26] A few Argylls managed to escape to India, including Lt.Col. Stewart, where they lectured on jungle warfare tactics. After this the evacuees became part of No. 6 GHQ Training Team, which organised training exercises and lectures for the14th Indian Infantry Division and2nd British Infantry Division.[27]
In May 1942, the 15th Battalion, raised during the war, was redesignated as the new 2nd Battalion. This battalion joined the227th (Highland) Infantry Brigade and became a part of the15th (Scottish) Infantry Division, a formation that would gain an excellent reputation, in 1943. With the division, the battalion fought in theBattle for Caen, seeing its first action inOperation Epsom, as part ofOperation Overlord. The division ended the war on theElbe River.[28]
The 5th battalion landed in France as part of theBritish Expeditionary Force in September 1939. They took part in theDunkirk evacuation in June 1940 and then, after converting to become the 91st Anti-Tank Regiment and seeing action at theNormandy landings in June 1944, they fought through North-West Europe to the River Elbe.[29]
The 6th Battalion landed in France as corps troops forI Corps with the British Expeditionary Force in September 1939. They took part in the Dunkirk evacuation in June 1940 and then, after converting to become the 93rd Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery saw action in the Tunisia campaign, in the Allied landings in Sicily and in the Allied landings in Italy.[30]
The 7th Battalion was aTerritorial Army (TA) unit serving in the154th (Highland) Infantry Brigade. The brigade was part of the51st (Highland) Infantry Division in France in 1940 as part of theBritish Expeditionary Force. They were stationed on theMaginot Line and so avoided being encircled with the rest of the BEF during theBattle of France. The 7th Argylls in particular suffered heavy losses during the fighting, the worst day in its history. The 154th Brigade managed to be evacuated to England after the 51st (Highland) Division was forced to surrender on 12 June 1940.[31] The division was reconstituted by the redesignation of the9th (Highland) Infantry Division to the 51st. The understrength 154th Brigade of the old 51st was merged with the28th Infantry Brigade. In 1942 the new 51st Division, 7th Argylls included, were sent to join theBritish Eighth Army in theNorth African Campaign. They fought in theFirst Battle of El Alamein and in theSecond Battle of El Alamein which turned the tide of the war in favour of theAllies.[31] During the fighting in North Africa,Lieutenant ColonelLorne MacLaine Campbell of 7th Argylls was awarded theVictoria Cross.[32] In March 1942, two British privates from the 7th battalion, Macfarlane and Goldie, escaped wearing their blue work detail overalls over their battledress. They wore rucksacks to cover the markings "KG" (Kriegsgefangener, "prisoner of war") on their backs. They secreted themselves in a rail wagon carrying salt toBelgium. There they managed to contact an escape line and, by the middle of the year, they were safely back in Scotland.[33]
The 8th Battalion was also a Territorial Army (TA) unit serving with the 7th Battalion in the 154th (Highland) Infantry Brigade. The brigade was part of the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division in France in 1940 as part of the British Expeditionary Force. The 154th Brigade managed to be evacuated to England after the 51st (Highland) Division was forced to surrender on 12 June 1940.[34] On 25 April 1943, the 8th Battalion was, by this time, serving with the36th Brigade, part of the78thBattleaxe Division during theTunisian Campaign won fame during the assault of Djebel Ahmera hill on theattack on Longstop Hill, in which despite heavy casualties from mortar and machine gun fire scaled and took the heights.MajorJohn Thompson McKellar Anderson, for inspiring his men and eliminating strong points, gained theVictoria Cross.[35]
The 9th Battalion, also a Territorial unit, was converted to artillery as the 54th LightAnti-Aircraft Regiment,Royal Artillery comprising three batteries from the formerCompanies: 160 (Dumbarton), 161 (Alexandria) and 162 (Helensburgh).[36] Former B Company (Kirkintilloch) and D Company (Clydebank) formed the nucleus of the second-line regiment, the 58th LAA, comprising 172,173 and 174 Batteries.[37][38]Armed withBofors andLewis guns, the 54th saw action protecting the rear of the retreat of the BEF to Dunkirk, destroying the Bofors before rescue. 162 Battery became detached protecting airfields atReims and escaped in June via Brest, St. Nazaire and La Rochelle.[39][40] Between Dunkirk and D-Day they were deployed mostly in training and protecting airfields and other sites in England, including Manchester, as part of44th AA Brigade. They participated inOperation Harlequin on the south coast. They were then transferred to9th Armoured Division until its dispersal in 1944 and then to the21st Army Group.[41] They were deployed after D-Day, in August 1944, in support of theFirst Canadian Army, landing atJuno Beach. They provided support atRouen andPont-de-l'Arche and onward through northern France toBoulogne and subsequentlyAntwerp andOstend in Belgium. In November they moved onward toKloosterzande, Holland, remaining there until the end of the war. They continued into Germany as part of theBAOR, helping guardPOWs atMunsterlager until November 1945, then on toBrunswick until early 1946 when the regiment was put into "suspended animation" and demobilised.[42]The 58th joined the BEF and participated in the defence of Boulogne and Calais.[43]From May 1941 they served as part of11th Armoured Division, initially as part of 11th Support Group until it was disbanded 1 June 1942, then transferring to Divisional Troops.In 1944, they were deployed inOperation Overlord and later that year south and east of Eindhoven, Holland.[37][38][44]
Between 1945 and 1948, the 1st Battalion saw service inMandatory Palestine, during the conflicts with the Jewish paramilitary organisationsIrgun,Haganah andLehi.[45]
In 1948, the 2nd Battalion was amalgamated with the 1st Battalion. The battalion was one of the first British units to serve in theKorean War, arriving there in September 1950 as part of the27th British Commonwealth Brigade. In its first major action, in thebattle of Naktong, the battalion was involved in a tragic friendly-fire incident in thefight for Hill 282.[46] The Argylls were noted for their reoccupation of theCrater district ofAden, under controversialCommanding officer Lieutenant ColonelColin Campbell Mitchell, during theAden Emergency in the mid-1960s.[47]
In 1970, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, as the junior regiment of the Scottish Division, faced disbandment as part of a general downsizing of the army. A "Save the Argylls" campaign involving the petitioning of Parliament resulted in a compromise under which asingle regular company retained the title and colours of the regiment. "Balaclava Company" continued as an independent unit from 20 January 1971 until the regiment was restored to full battalion size on 17 January 1972.[48] Between 1972 and 2003 the regiment regularly served inNorthern Ireland duringthe Troubles.[48]
In January 2004 the regiment was deployed to theIraq War.[49] During this deployment the regiment was involved in numerous actions, including at the notoriousBattle of Danny Boy.[50] On return to the UK in late 2004 the regiment was presented with TheWilkinson Sword of Peace by QueenElizabeth II, theColonel-in-Chief, for its contribution to peace inBelfast in the aftermath of theHoly Cross dispute. She also presented Iraq Medals to selected soldiers.[51]
On 28 March 2006, as part of therestructuring of the infantry, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were amalgamated with the other Scottish infantry regiments into the singleRoyal Regiment of Scotland.[52] The regiment's last role before amalgamation was in theair assault role as part of16 Air Assault Brigade. Elements of the new regiment originally affiliated with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders included a regular battalion (5 SCOTS), an affiliated company of theTerritorial Army battalion,51st Highland Volunteers (7 SCOTS) and anArmy Cadet Force battalion. The 5th Battalion continued recruiting in the area allocated to the Argylls, wore a green hackle on its headdress to differentiate it from the other battalions, and were permitted to use the title "The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders" in parenthetis in reference to the battalion.[53]
On 5 July 2012, a further series of measures to reduce the total size of the British Army were announced by Defence Secretary Philip Hammond. These included the reduction of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (5 SCOTS) to a single company (Balaklava Company) for public (ceremonial) duties in Scotland.[54]The Queen visited the Highlanders atHowe Barracks inCanterbury in June 2013 to mark their relocation to Scotland.[55]
When the company is mounting royal guard/guard duties they are divided into two platoons; Pony Platoon (ceremonial) and Security Platoon. When not mounting guard, the company is divided into No. 1 and No. 2 platoons for regular deployment. Following theArmy 2020 Refine, the company moved toRedford Barracks where they remain as part of the51st Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Scotland.[56]
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Museum is theregimental museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, their antecedent regiments, and successor battalions. Located inStirling Castle, the museum building was built in the 1490s, and known as the "King's House" or "King's Old Building", thought to have been the private residence of King James IV.[57] Entrance to the museum is included in the price of the castle entrance ticket. The museum is almost entirely maintained through public donations; the modest grant from theMinistry of Defence has been withdrawn.[58] It is governed by a charitable trust: The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum Trust.[59]
The museum closed for refurbishment in August 2018.[60] It re-opened again, following completion of a programme of works funded by theNational Lottery Heritage Fund and costing £4 million, in June 2021.[61]
The regiment's battle honours include:[10]
Colonels-in-chief of the regiment were:[10]
Colonels of the regiment were:[10]
Units that have formed affiliations with the regiment include:[10]
Canada – TheArgyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's) Canada –The Calgary Highlanders (10th Canadians) Canada –Cape Breton Highlanders
Australia –The Royal Queensland Regiment Australia –The Royal New South Wales Regiment
Pakistan – 1st Battalion (Scinde),The Frontier Force Regiment
Royal Navy –HMSArgyll United Kingdom – Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Battalion ACF, Balaklava Company, West Lowland Battalion ACF